Commonwealth Consolidated Acts Commonwealth Consolidated Acts(1) The object of this Act is to provide a regulatory framework for coastal trading in Australia that:
(a) promotes a viable shipping industry that contributes to the broader Australian economy; and
(b) facilitates the long term growth of the Australian shipping industry; and
(c) enhances the efficiency and reliability of Australian shipping as part of the national transport system; and
(d) maximises the use of vessels registered in the Australian General Shipping Register in coastal trading; and
(e) promotes competition in coastal trading; and
(f) ensures efficient movement of passengers and cargo between Australian ports.
(2) This Act aims to achieve its object by the following means:
(a) ensuring that a vessel that is used to engage in coastal trading under a general licence has unrestricted access to Australian waters;
(b) ensuring that a vessel that is used to engage in coastal trading has access to Australian waters under a temporary licence that is limited in time and to voyages authorised by the licence;
(c) ensuring that a vessel that is used to engage in coastal trading under an emergency licence has the access to Australian waters required to deal with the emergency to which the licence relates.